PJ Tucker x 'Sky Blue' Nike Air Flight '89
PJ Tucker is somewhere high above the clouds, 35,000 feet up. He's been flying non-stop for decades now, hopping around the world to follow wherever the ball takes him. The game has taken him from Raleigh, NC to the rest of the world. History was his in Israel. Explorations of Italy and Greece informed his list of food preferences. He gained fame in Ukraine for his shopping activities. He was jumping from court to the beach in Puerto Rico. They know his name all over the North American continent. Raptors fans love him. Suns fans respect him. Bucks fans love him. He's been gone for a long, long time.
Our minds change when we travel. Being given the time and space to think while in the air allows ideas to form. The changing times and places bring wonderful feelings of inspiration. In these busy, busy days, we sit in our chairs, facing outward or upward, and our minds wander. We are blessed to have transportation that enhances our mood. Traveling to different places makes us different people. Art flows and new art emerges.
Through all these years in the hobby, PJ has found a way to communicate his long-running story.
The “Sky Blue” Nike Air Flight '89 was inspired by the many flights he took. “Flight PJ17” is on the heel because this specific color takes its cue from the Boeing 777-300er that flies in the sky in the sky where changes happen every day. PJ went ahead by making only 472 pairs of these, a direct reversal of the exact number of seats on the 777-300er.
PJ knows all about the sky, just like he knows all about sneakers. Choosing the Air Flight '89 in this colorway shows how much he cares about staying true to his love of rocking his personal favorite kicks. With a large supply of the most popular silhouettes, he went with a deep cut – from the feet of Scottie Pippen.
Originally known as the Nike Air Flight Low, this silhouette dropped in 1989. Some will say it is related to the Air Jordan IV due to its almost identical release system and lace locking system. Also, Tinker Hatfield (no stranger to long flights either) designed this pair, as did the AJIV. But whether or not it's really related to the IV, it goes down as an important part of Nike Basketball lore. Full-grain leather sits on the upper, while a covered front Air unit and visible heel Air unit prevent Pip's arrival from those acrobatic performances to the sky of Chicago Stadium.
Back in August, we released the cover story of PJ's KICKS 26. It's the perfect time to bring back this quote from him: “Sneakers help me in the mood for everything. Just the love of shoes keeps my mind off the many things I might be thinking and dealing with. Love and work, especially now because we have so much going on within sneakers, culture, fashion and everything. It is something that makes my mind separate from everything that is happening around me. And I think that different people have different things in their lives that, over the years, they realize [themselves] go out, you know, things that make you happy. You know, you garden in your backyard, whatever it is. Wednesday night bowling with your boys. Everyone has something, including sneakers [have] it's always been my kind of release for everything where it's natural and I just love it. “
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